Monday, April 04, 2016

Guatemala Lessons for
Brazil in the Midst of a Powerful Political Crisis

By Julio Severo

Protests against a corrupt president? A population calling
for the impeachment of the corrupt president? This is what Brazil is living
right now. And this is what Guatemala lived last year.

But there is a huge difference between the presidents
of both nations. While Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was a Marxist terrorist
who fought the military rule in Brazil in the 1960s, Guatemalan President Otto
Pérez Molina was a general who fought communists in the past. In fact, he was
trained for such fight.

Molina was a graduate of the U.S. Army School of the
Americas, an institution whose specific goal was to teach “anti-communist
counterinsurgency training.” He was also a graduate of the Washington DC-based Inter-American
Defense College. He is one of the distinguished alumni of this college.

As a retired general, Molina founded in 2001 the Patriotic
Party (Spanish: Partido Patriota, PP), which is conservative and right-wing.

The past political activism of Molina and Rousseff is
opposed and antagonistic. She is an atheist with a perfect Marxist history. He is
a Catholic with a perfect anti-Marxist history. But their presidencies were
equally plagued by massive corruption, and massive protests.

In spite of their irreconcilable ideological
differences, they equally suffered protests from contrary political
forces. Molina, from left-wing forces; Rousseff, from right-wing forces.

Rousseff may be impeached or deposed in 2016, while
Molina, whose opposition wanted to impeach him, resigned due to fraud and
corruption in 2015.

But in Guatemala, a corrupt Left was not victorious against
a corrupt right-wing president. The Guatemalan Church had been active
throughout the process of political crisis, holding prayer meetings, prayer
vigils and fasting.

“God put His hand in Guatemala, it’s a miracle what
happened,” prayer participant Marco Antonio Ruiz said. “We came together as
Church and cried out with one voice. The effectual prayer of a righteous man
availeth much. God heard the voice of all those who joined us in prayer.”

After Molina’s resignation, Guatemala held new
elections, and Jimmy Morales, who is a conservative evangelical Christian and
has studied theology, was elected in an election process equally marked by prayer
meetings, prayer vigils and fasting. Morales supports the death penalty and
opposes abortion and gay “marriage.”

About laws promoting these evils, which are plaguing
Brazil and especially the U.S., Morales said, “According to my belief, my
ideology, I would have to veto such laws. I think in Guatemala we will not have
this because of conservative thinking. In case Congress approves such laws, my position
would be against them.”

Many Guatemalan Christians believe President Morales is
an answer to their prayers. Because of prayer meetings, prayer vigils and
fasting, the transition from a corrupt right-wing president to a conservative
evangelical president was very peaceful.

Is there a more powerful lesson to Brazil than the
Guatemala example in this time of intense Brazilian crisis?

The answer is not in leftist politicians, including
Marina Silva.

Many Brazilians see anti-communist Army officials as
the only hope for Brazil.

But the ultimate answer is not in them.

The answer is in God, who answers prayers.

Perhaps the Brazilian Church should invite the
Guatemalan Church to teach her about prayer meetings, prayer vigils and
fasting.

If God gave a real conservative president to Guatemala,
what hinders him from giving the same blessing to Brazil?